Many public servants are leading luxurious lifestyles , beyond the legal sources of their income. Many public servants are filing false affidavits about their annual income , wealth details to Election Commission of India / Vigilance Commission / other authorities , as the case may be. These authorities are not properly verifying these affidavits . many scams , scandals are coming to light day in & day out , politicians are accussing each other of involvement in scams. Whereas , the said authorities are keeping mum , as if those affidavits filed by tainted public servants are true.

The tainted public servants are not even providing full , right information to public as per RTI Act, lest the truth come out. Just imagine , even the supreme court of India violated RTI Act – failed to give information to our publication as per RTI Act , lest the truth – skeletons in judiciary comes out.

Some public servants , caught redhanded during luxurious spending , easily says that it is at their political paty's expense or their well wisher's expense. However no entries are found in the account books of said parties to that respect. The law forbids public servants from accepting gifts , hospitality , favours beyond the value of rupees one hundred ( Rs. 100 ) , as it may be a form of bribe.

Hereby , HRW urges the honourable supreme court of India , to enforce RTI Act , annual filing of affidavits by public servants , fool-proof verification of those affidavits by public committees comprising ordinary citizens as mandatory encompassing all public offices. As a first step , it must be enforced to judges , police personnel & tax officials . then alone , many socio-economic problems , corruption in India can be solved. JAI HIND . VANDE MATARAM .

Your's sincerely ,

NAGARAJ.M.R.

India: After a decade of empty promises, time to ratify CAT and end torture

Amnesty International is deeply concerned that, ten years after having signed the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the Convention), India has yet to ratify the Convention. It has yet to make effective changes in domestic legislation to end the widespread practice of torture across the country.

In October 1997, India signed the Convention against Torture. India has since emerged as a key player in the international environment. During this period during several meetings with various senior government officials, Amnesty International delegates had received assurances that addressing the continuing prevalence of torture was high on the government's agenda.

However, despite a vigorous campaign by civil society and human rights organisations -- including Amnesty International -- during the last decade, the Government of India has failed to ratify the Convention. Neither has it seriously addressed the endemic nature of torture across the country including in the proposed police reforms bill.

Amnesty International continues to receive reports of torture and degrading treatment of individuals in custody from those states where stringent security legislation is enforced -- such as Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, Chattisgarh and some of the north-eastern states -- but also from other states where torture is routinely used.

In last decade several orders from the Supreme Court, guidelines enunciated by national and state human rights commissions and official sanctions, have not deterred officials from inflicting torture on individuals on the basis of their caste, religion, socio-economic and sexual identity. Reports of torture of those belonging to the minorities and marginalised communities including dalits, adivasis and women are commonplace.

Amnesty International also points out that the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture has still not been invited to India despite making several requests.

On the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Amnesty International urges the Government of India, as a responsible country in the international arena to:

I am deeply concerned about the role that some EU Member States have played in the US-led programme of renditions and secret detention.

Inquiries carried out by the Council of Europe and the European Parliament found that some EU Member States had been complicit in renditions and secret detention and recommended measures to prevent renditions in or through Europe in future. I am deeply troubled that none of the recommendations has been implemented to date.

In view of Portugal's Presidency of the European Union, from July to December 2007, I urge you to ensure that the EU Council publicly condemns rendition and that the recommendations of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe are implemented, including by ensuring that:

the EU does not allownational or foreign intelligence agencies to operate without effective control on its territory;

Member States encourage and provide full information to independent parliamentary and/or judicial inquiries into allegations of co-operation in renditions;

all Member States provide accurate and thorough information on rendition and secret detention to the European Parliament, the EU Council,the EU Commission and the Council of Europe.

Respectfully,

NAGARAJ.M.R.

AN APPEAL TO U.S AMBASSADOR , EMBASSY OF U.S.A , NEW DELHI

Dear David Mulford ,

I am writing to express my concern about 39 terrorism suspects believed to have been held in secret US custody and whose current whereabouts remain unknown.

These men are victims of enforced disappearance as defined by international law. Secret detention and enforced disappearance are violations of the USA's treaty obligations.

I believe that lasting security and real justice for the victims of terrorism cannot be achieved by placing people in secret locations deprived of the most basic legal safeguards for any detainee. Governments must protect their people from acts of terrorism, but the US programme of secret detention, acknowledged by President George W. Bush on September 2006, is not the way to do this.

The US government must end the use of secret detention, clarify the fate and whereabouts of all people who have been secretly detained, allow them access to their families and to an adequate legal process.

I recall President Bush's repeated assertions that the USA remains committed to the "non-negotiable demands of human dignity", including the rule of law. I urge you to relay my concern to the US administration and to do all in your power to make respect for human rights and the rule of law a reality for all those in US custody and their families.